I admit to being a bit of a Granlund fan and think he still has room for improvement. To the point of making a guy like Backlund expendable. Not to dump his salary, but to receive real value in return in another area of need. In this case, Flames decided they would prefer a younger prospect and see how he develops. I do get the logic and buying a couple of years of waiver status is helpful. But I still feel like there is as good a chance, if not better, that Shinkaruk (or Poirier for that matter) does not become as good as Granlund than there is of them exceeding him.
The waiver wire status issue is kind of a side note. It is relevant, but ultimately I am just wondering who will be the better player. Although if your organizational philosophy is that "overcooking" your players is never a bad thing, then waiver eligibility is always going to be something you have to manage.
It is interesting that the two trades with Vancouver have been about trading young guys to get even younger (and buying some potential) vs. classic trading off of veterans.
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